Where to apply? low GPA, pursuing MD.

[yas710]

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Hello,

I'm very determined to apply MD only, as I would prefer it over DO. nothing against DO.
Any suggestions on where to apply?
I'm a junior majoring in Biomedical sciences, 20 years old, and would rather not take a gap year off, but if i have to, then i have to...
some stats: 3.0 GPA (with a great upward trend since my 1st semester) from a pretty rigorous school (Marquette), MCAT pending (1 month?), and A LOT of clinical exposure. I was a scribe for more than a year, accumulated over 1300 hours...some volunteering here and there, part of a few organizations, and lab research for the past few months.

Where would someone like me apply and get some love? Also I'm a Wisconsin resident. my most ideal school would be UW-Madison Med school, but we'll see how that works out...many have suggested post-bacc or master's programs. I think i'd rather do the master's over the post-bacc, because some Master's programs offer an interview WITHIN that first year, so then I'll be able to enroll in med school the following year, is that correct?
Also I'd rather do master's so i can take higher level courses because i have been doing much better in my higher division sciences (MicroBio, BioChem, physiology, physics, pathology, ochem) rather than my first year with the pre-reqs such as bio and chem, which were during my freshmen year.
Also, which schools do this exactly? I know Rosalind franklin does, and a few other DO's, but i'm mainly looking into MD's.

Thank you all very much.

 

[KittySquared]

I had a friend in a similar situation. She had 3.0 and a 30 on the MCAT and 4.0'd her masters physiology program. Didn't apply to DO schools. She got into a Caribbean med school though. But I think she'd have benefitted from applying to DO schools so she could at least have better residency placements and also be closer to family.

 

[getdown]

Hello,

I'm very determined to apply MD only, as I would prefer it over DO. nothing against DO.
Any suggestions on where to apply?
I'm a junior majoring in Biomedical sciences, 20 years old, and would rather not take a gap year off, but if i have to, then i have to...
some stats: 3.0 GPA (with a great upward trend since my 1st semester) from a pretty rigorous school (Marquette), MCAT pending (1 month?), and A LOT of clinical exposure. I was a scribe for more than a year, accumulated over 1300 hours...some volunteering here and there, part of a few organizations, and lab research for the past few months.

Where would someone like me apply and get some love? Also I'm a Wisconsin resident. my most ideal school would be UW-Madison Med school, but we'll see how that works out...many have suggested post-bacc or master's programs. I think i'd rather do the master's over the post-bacc, because some Master's programs offer an interview WITHIN that first year, so then I'll be able to enroll in med school the following year, is that correct?
Also I'd rather do master's so i can take higher level courses because i have been doing much better in my higher division sciences (MicroBio, BioChem, physiology, physics, pathology, ochem) rather than my first year with the pre-reqs such as bio and chem, which were during my freshmen year.
Also, which schools do this exactly? I know Rosalind franklin does, and a few other DO's, but i'm mainly looking into MD's.

Thank you all very much.

Any particular reason for the bolded statement? I mean if your end goal is to practice medicine MD/DO is the same. Lets be honest, your scores aren't that great and chances at an MD school might be slim. You might land a few interviews but that might be the extent of it. In terms of Masters programs, your chances definitely go up if you did really well in them. But the other thing is that some of the best masters programs are as competitive as actual MD schools to get into. So, if I were you with your scores I'd apply as broadly as possible MD and DO and take whatever comes. Don't be picky and waste a year reapplying as that's a year of future income lost. And no, an MD from the Carib/FMG is not going to help you in the US job market if you are planning to practice here.

 

[sinombre]

Without an MCAT score you won't be able to gauge your chances at any school. Even with a >90th percentile MCAT, your 3.0 GPA will probably keep you out of MD schools.

Also, you should buy an MSAR (or buy access to the website) if you haven't already.

 

[yas710]

Any particular reason for the bolded statement? I mean if your end goal is to practice medicine MD/DO is the same. Lets be honest, your scores aren't that great and chances at an MD school might be slim. You might land a few interviews but that might be the extent of it. In terms of Masters programs, your chances definitely go up if you did really well in them. But the other thing is that some of the best masters programs are as competitive as actual MD schools to get into. So, if I were you with your scores I'd apply as broadly as possible MD and DO and take whatever comes. Don't be picky and waste a year reapplying as that's a year of future income lost. And no, an MD from the Carib/FMG is not going to help you in the US job market if you are planning to practice here.

yes, the reason for that bold statement is that I want to be able to practice globally. i do not want to be confined to practice only in the US. my family is from Yemen and I plan on practicing everywhere honestly, so i'd rather avoid the future hassles due to DO restrictions overseas.
Also, there are many reasons due to my low GPA. I've had to manage a job throughout my college career, and i'm the eldest of 7 siblings, many other responsibilities than your common college student, and thus a VERY limited amount of time for studying, in comparison with the majority student body here, or in general.
Again, when I apply broadly, which schools generally have empathy to the hard working student? for my sophomore and junior year, i've been excelling in all or most of my classes, especially the upper division ones. The Creighton admissions rep told me that a post-bacc isn't necessarily the best idea, because I can take a Master's instead, taking higher level courses...rather than retaking bio and chem and other minuscule pre-reqs.

 

[yas710]

also, i'm not necessarily interested in the "best master's programs" as I just want to prove to med schools that i am fully capable of the med school curriculum. i can certainly prove to them that i am capable of the schedule and sleep deprivation as i was a scribe working like a resident with the doctors in the ER.
Also, another thing that I always see on SDN is that the general community here tends to weaken the hope of one by scaring them or lower their confidence in certain schools. i'm not saying be too optimistic, but don't be too negative where you'll ruin someone's dreams based on your neglectful post. nothing personal, just wanted to tell it like it is.

 

[getdown]

also, i'm not necessarily interested in the "best master's programs" as I just want to prove to med schools that i am fully capable of the med school curriculum. i can certainly prove to them that i am capable of the schedule and sleep deprivation as i was a scribe working like a resident with the doctors in the ER.
Also, another thing that I always see on SDN is that the general community here tends to weaken the hope of one by scaring them or lower their confidence in certain schools. i'm not saying be too optimistic, but don't be too negative where you'll ruin someone's dreams based on your neglectful post. nothing personal, just wanted to tell it like it is.

Look OP, I'm not trying to put you down or discourage you from applying to medical school. I'm just being honest with you. And you know why? Cause I was in the same exact position as yourself: GPA 3.3, mediocre MCAT, eldest of an immigrant family, worked a lot during college so I know where you're coming from. It took me 2 cycles and a post-bac/SMP before finally getting off the waitlist. And this was 4-5 years ago when it was "easier" to get in. Now the trends for GPA and MCAT have only gone even higher as the economy continues to circle the toilet. I know this as I do interviews for my school. Most schools will screen applicants out via GPA/MCAT first before even reviewing their applications as it's near impossible to review tens of thousands of applications individually or before even take note of your struggles/challenges/accomplishments. With your 3.0 GPA you'll most likely get screened out, God forbid if you only score an average MCAT. So your best bet would be to score really high on the MCAT and hope that outweighs your GPA. Apply to your state med schools as they tend to be more preferential towards their own. Your next bet would be to do an SMP and do really well but you also want to find one that has a good track record of putting kids into medical school (Georgetown, Cincinnati, BU MAMS are a few that come to mind). Furthermore, if your intentions are to practice globally anyway, then why not consider applying to foreign medical schools directly? I know it seems harsh but sometimes reality is harsh and the sooner you get perspective the less time/money you waste. I can give you the "rah rah you can do it as long as you put your mind to it" but that would do you a disservice if you end up wasting thousands of dollars on apps for nothing. Is it impossible? No, I'm here but was it damn hard? You bet your ass it was the most frustrating/depressing thing in the world to get rejection after rejection.

 

[sinombre]

I worked a full time job because I couldn't get sufficient loan coverage throughout all of undergrad (also as an ER scribe for the last year), so I understand where you're coming from as well, and understand how much this can get in the way of succeeding academically. Still, adcoms aren't going to look past a 3.0. I had a hard enough time this past admissions cycle and I had just under a 3.7 and a low 30s MCAT (I applied to 24 schools and have 2 acceptances and 1 waitlist).

Obviously it's not impossible, but if you want to get in to an MD program, you're almost definitely going to have to do some kind of serious GPA repair and MCAT compensation.

also, i'm not necessarily interested in the "best master's programs" as I just want to prove to med schools that i am fully capable of the med school curriculum. i can certainly prove to them that i am capable of the schedule and sleep deprivation as i was a scribe working like a resident with the doctors in the ER.
Also, another thing that I always see on SDN is that the general community here tends to weaken the hope of one by scaring them or lower their confidence in certain schools. i'm not saying be too optimistic, but don't be too negative where you'll ruin someone's dreams based on your neglectful post. nothing personal, just wanted to tell it like it is.

The "working like a resident" comment made me lol. Having to work odd hours without a break and with no real responsibility is very different from working longer hours with the responsibility that comes with being a physician. Working as a scribe provides great clinical experience, but it's in an entirely different league than working as a resident. Also, being able to handle sleep deprivation won't impress adcoms, although this experience can certainly be personally beneficial (it was for me).

 

[nysegop]

Here's the inside scoop, Pumpkin. A 3.0 won't get you into an allopathic program regardless of ugrad school. Nobody cares where you go to undergraduate school. You'll need to take a gap year and do well in it. A 3.0 could give you some chance at some DO schools, but not at an MD school (unless you can get ~38 or higher on the MCAT).

 

[SixStringPsych]

Here's the inside scoop, Pumpkin. A 3.0 won't get you into an allopathic program regardless of ugrad school. Nobody cares where you go to undergraduate school. You'll need to take a gap year and do well in it. A 3.0 could give you some chance at some DO schools, but not at an MD school (unless you can get ~38 or higher on the MCAT).

Yeah OP, listen to the high schooler when it comes to decisions about your career.

In all seriousness though, you're going to need a high MCAT (32+) to make your application even worth looking at. As far as I'm concerned, I don't know that schools auto-screen anywhere above a 3.0, if anyone can show me evidence of this I'm all ears, but I'd say as long as you're above a 3.0 then you have some eyes looking at your app. Does it mean they will give you an interview? Not necessarily.

I'd say kick butt on the MCAT, and then apply on Day 1, to MD/DO, and to like 30 schools if you're really concerned about "wasting" too much time. If you don't have success, then do an SMP.

I'm in a similar boat, and that's my plan.

 

[GopherMD]

...I'd say kick butt on the MCAT, and then apply on Day 1, to MD/DO, and to like 30 schools if you're really concerned about "wasting" too much time. If you don't have success, then do an SMP...

Do exactly this.

 

[Tots]

Moved to the "What are my chances" forums.

 

[sinombre]

Here's the inside scoop, Pumpkin. A 3.0 won't get you into an allopathic program regardless of ugrad school. Nobody cares where you go to undergraduate school. You'll need to take a gap year and do well in it. A 3.0 could give you some chance at some DO schools, but not at an MD school (unless you can get ~38 or higher on the MCAT).

Please stop giving medical school application advice before you've even started college. You're benefiting no one. And your ~38 comment made me lol.

 

[nysegop]

Yeah OP, listen to the high schooler when it comes to decisions about your career.

In all seriousness though, you're going to need a high MCAT (32+) to make your application even worth looking at. As far as I'm concerned, I don't know that schools auto-screen anywhere above a 3.0, if anyone can show me evidence of this I'm all ears, but I'd say as long as you're above a 3.0 then you have some eyes looking at your app. Does it mean they will give you an interview? Not necessarily.

I'd say kick butt on the MCAT, and then apply on Day 1, to MD/DO, and to like 30 schools if you're really concerned about "wasting" too much time. If you don't have success, then do an SMP.

I'm in a similar boat, and that's my plan.

You haven't been accepted to a medical school yet either, so you're not qualified either.

A 3.0 and a 32 MCAT won't get you into medical school. Keep dreaming.

OP - Have fun in the caribbean or osteopathic schools if you're not willing to do a gap year. You might get in if you invented the mass spectrometer.

Being in high school doesn't make me any less informed. I'm about statistics, and statistically speaking even if the OP gets a 32 on the MCAT, he/she only stands a 30% of an acceptance at any allopathic medical school in the United States. A 3.0 is when some schools simply will not even look at the application.

https://www.aamc.org/download/321508/data/2012factstable24.pdf

Medical school is not for B students.

 

[sinombre]

You haven't been accepted to a medical school yet either, so you're not qualified either.

A 3.0 and a 32 MCAT won't get you into medical school. Keep dreaming.

OP - Have fun in the caribbean or osteopathic schools if you're not willing to do a gap year. You might get in if you invented the mass spectrometer.

Being in high school doesn't make me any less informed. I'm about statistics, and statistically speaking even if the OP gets a 32 on the MCAT, he/she only stands a 30% of an acceptance at any allopathic medical school in the United States. A 3.0 is when some schools simply will not even look at the application.

https://www.aamc.org/download/321508/data/2012factstable24.pdf

Medical school is not for B students.

1. Yes it does.

2. If you're about statistics, you should understand that "30% of applicants with stats of X are successful" is very, very different than having those stats and having a 30% chance of being successful. The data you're referencing also does not include any graduate work, which many successful applicants with low GPA's have. The data is misleading.

 

[nysegop]

1. Yes it does.

2. If you're about statistics, you should understand that "30% of applicants with stats of X are successful" is very, very different than having those stats and having a 30% chance of being successful. The data you're referencing also does not include any graduate work, which many successful applicants with low GPA's have. The data is misleading.

It's funny that you should mention being uninformed. The word "data" is plural, so it should be "the data are misleading".

Graduate work would help the applicant, but the OP hasn't mentioned any graduate work.

 

[sinombre]

It's funny that you should mention being uninformed. The word "data" is plural, so it should be "the data are misleading".

Graduate work would help the applicant, but the OP hasn't mentioned any graduate work.

Actually, both forms are acceptable. But nice try.

I mentioned graduate work to point out one of many reasons why admissions data can be misleading.

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

It's funny that you should mention being uninformed. The word "data" is plural, so it should be "the data are misleading".

Graduate work would help the applicant, but the OP hasn't mentioned any graduate work.

I've actually looked into the "data is plural" thing before a while back and remember sources saying it can go both ways, so why try to be the grammar police on an internet forum? Does it really matter if you know what was meant?

Also, though I don't necessarily completely disagree with some things you've said, the way you say them just screams immature. You'll have a better time in college if you grow up a little bit beforehand. No one is discrediting your opinion as it is just that, your opinion. You don't need to try and crush the OP because I doubt they're going to give up their dream because of what you have to say on SDN. Professionalism and learning the right way to say things both go a long way, especially in the profession you're trying to pursue here. Good luck to you in college.

 

[Goro]

To give you a dose of reality, you will be autoscreeend out into the rejection pile. Your GPA is simply NOT competetive for MD schools. Even with a 38+ on the MCAT, you'd likely be waitlisted, as the adCom members would likley say "nice guy/gal, but I'm concerned about that low GPA."

The only scenario I can see being positive is where you bombed year one, and have been acing (and I'm talking 4.0 here) every single course since then, right up to graduation.


You're even at the very low end of acceptable for most DO programs.

Hello,

I'm very determined to apply MD only, as I would prefer it over DO. nothing against DO.
Any suggestions on where to apply?
I'm a junior majoring in Biomedical sciences, 20 years old, and would rather not take a gap year off, but if i have to, then i have to...
some stats: 3.0 GPA (with a great upward trend since my 1st semester) from a pretty rigorous school (Marquette), MCAT pending (1 month?), and A LOT of clinical exposure. I was a scribe for more than a year, accumulated over 1300 hours...some volunteering here and there, part of a few organizations, and lab research for the past few months.

Where would someone like me apply and get some love? Also I'm a Wisconsin resident. my most ideal school would be UW-Madison Med school, but we'll see how that works out...many have suggested post-bacc or master's programs. I think i'd rather do the master's over the post-bacc, because some Master's programs offer an interview WITHIN that first year, so then I'll be able to enroll in med school the following year, is that correct?
Also I'd rather do master's so i can take higher level courses because i have been doing much better in my higher division sciences (MicroBio, BioChem, physiology, physics, pathology, ochem) rather than my first year with the pre-reqs such as bio and chem, which were during my freshmen year.
Also, which schools do this exactly? I know Rosalind franklin does, and a few other DO's, but i'm mainly looking into MD's.

Thank you all very much.

 

[nysegop]

I've actually looked into the "data is plural" thing before a while back and remember sources saying it can go both ways, so why try to be the grammar police on an internet forum? Does it really matter if you know what was meant?

Also, though I don't necessarily completely disagree with some things you've said, the way you say them just screams immature. You'll have a better time in college if you grow up a little bit beforehand. No one is discrediting your opinion as it is just that, your opinion. You don't need to try and crush the OP because I doubt they're going to give up their dream because of what you have to say on SDN. Professionalism and learning the right way to say things both go a long way, especially in the profession you're trying to pursue here. Good luck to you in college.

Take a latin class, then you would understand. I'm not telling them to "give up on their dream". I'm telling them to wake up from their fantasy and get to work. I'm also being realistic. A 3.0 GPA isn't likely to get someone into an allopathic medical school. I hope OP gets into medical school, but he/she seriously needs to look into non-traditional routes (post-bac, masters, etc.) as applying next year isn't going to yield good results.

Actually, both forms are acceptable. But nice try.

I mentioned graduate work to point out one of many reasons why admissions data can be misleading.

Being acceptable and being correct are entirely different.

 

[nysegop]

To give you a dose of reality, you will be autoscreeend out into the rejection pile. Your GPA is simply NOT competetive for MD schools. Even with a 38+ on the MCAT, you'd likely be waitlisted, as the adCom members would likley say "nice guy/gal, but I'm concerned about that low GPA."

The only scenario I can see being positive is where you bombed year one, and have been acing (and I'm talking 4.0 here) every single course since then, right up to graduation.


You're even at the very low end of acceptable for most DO programs.

👍

 

[sinombre]

Being acceptable and being correct are entirely different.

Oh, let me clarify. Both are correct. How exactly are you contributing to this thread again? You haven't started undergrad, taken the mcat, or dealt with the medical school application process. Leave it to those that can actually provide some insight to give advice.

 

[SixStringPsych]

You haven't been accepted to a medical school yet either, so you're not qualified either.

A 3.0 and a 32 MCAT won't get you into medical school. Keep dreaming.

OP - Have fun in the caribbean or osteopathic schools if you're not willing to do a gap year. You might get in if you invented the mass spectrometer.

Being in high school doesn't make me any less informed. I'm about statistics, and statistically speaking even if the OP gets a 32 on the MCAT, he/she only stands a 30% of an acceptance at any allopathic medical school in the United States. A 3.0 is when some schools simply will not even look at the application.

https://www.aamc.org/download/321508/data/2012factstable24.pdf

Medical school is not for B students.

Not starting undergrad and just starting the application process to med school are two very different things. Experience is experience.

If you're all about stats, then just go on every WAMC thread and post the AAMC Facts link. Then go back to hSDN.

Have fun in undergrad, I have a feeling it will be a rough four years.

 

[nysegop]

Oh, let me clarify. Both are correct. How exactly are you contributing to this thread again? You haven't started undergrad, taken the mcat, or dealt with the medical school application process. Leave it to those that can actually provide some insight to give advice.

The word "data" is plural. Take a linguistics class with a strong latin emphasis. Then you will understand. It is a common error which is so common that people have come to accept it. If people suddenly decided that "homie" was an acceptable term for a very close friend, it wouldn't make it correct.

Have you applied to medical school? Did you get in? Where?

This is all about statistics. A 17-year-old can handle numbers just as well as a premed student. A 3.0 isn't likely to land an acceptance at an allopathic medical school, as the faculty member stated above.

 

[sinombre]

The word "data" is plural. Take a linguistics class with a strong latin emphasis. Then you will understand. It is a common error which is so common that people have come to accept it. If people suddenly decided that "homie" was an acceptable term for a very close friend, it wouldn't make it correct.

o rly?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=is+data+plural+or+singular

Have you applied to medical school? Did you get in? Where?

Yes, I applied last cycle and am starting at a California allopathic school in the fall.

This is all about statistics. A 17-year-old can handle numbers just as well as a premed student. A 3.0 isn't likely to land an acceptance at an allopathic medical school, as the faculty member stated above.

Right, no one is disagreeing with you about that. But as I pointed out earlier, statistics can be deceiving. Again, that fact that 30% of applicants are accepted with certain stats does not translate into having a 30% chance if you have the same stats. This is something you ironically failed to recognize when you posted this:

I'm about statistics, and statistically speaking even if the OP gets a 32 on the MCAT, he/she only stands a 30% of an acceptance at any allopathic medical school in the United States.

tldr - I have a similar background to the OP and am starting medical school in the fall, and you haven't started undergrad yet. Let the OP decide who he wishes to take advice from.

 

[mcloaf]

The word "data" is plural. Take a linguistics class with a strong latin emphasis. Then you will understand. It is a common error which is so common that people have come to accept it. If people suddenly decided that "homie" was an acceptable term for a very close friend, it wouldn't make it correct.

Have you applied to medical school? Did you get in? Where?

This is all about statistics. A 17-year-old can handle numbers just as well as a premed student. A 3.0 isn't likely to land an acceptance at an allopathic medical school, as the faculty member stated above.

Is this real life?

If you are in high school don't post on WAMC threads. End of debate.

 

[edgerock24]

Honestly, don't waste your time on arguing over the internet with a high schooler. They live for this kind of nonsense. Oh, and cool signature with your "SAT II" information. Impressive stuff there buddy.

Anyways, OP, I suggest doing some GPA repair and trying your best to get into a allopathic-linked SMP, where students get accepted continuously to the given medical school. If you're not interested in that, then the only MD schools that would accept you would be those in the Caribbean, which is not ideal, to say the least.

 

[mehc012]

If people suddenly decided that "homie" was an acceptable term for a very close friend, it wouldn't make it correct.

Yes, it would...that's kinda how language works. It's a medium for communication, which primarily consists of words with commonly-agreed-upon meanings and a set of rules and syntax for stringing them together.

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/wordsinvented.html
To use an obnoxiously over-the-top analogy, a few hundred years ago, some madcap poet coined countless words in his dauntless pursuit of monumental success. It was the dawn of a new, majestic era of the English language (sort of). His works managed to arouse the excitement and amazement of critics and lower classes alike, giving his newly invented words a generous amount of exposure. Even when interest in his plays began to dwindle, it remained fashionable to use his language to add a hint of color to the otherwise lackluster discourse of the day. These words, though initially considered obscene and flawed by the pedant inhabitants of the academe, eventually metamorphized into commonly accepted parlance. Today, these words crop up everywhere - from bedroom talk to idle gossip, in advertising, etc. So yes, it is almost laughable to hear you speak out with discontent and label yourself as some sort of jaded, impartial champion of 'correct' language. You may think yourself secure in your gloomy ivory tower of linguistics, but every gust of wind carries a hint of the deafening outbreak of language contamination. I am not suggesting that we attempt to mimic the olympian efforts of Shakespeare, but perhaps you should rein in your worthless swagger and compromise on this one point: language is varied, mutable and equivocal. It is not some invulnerable summit of perfection. Try not to impede progress.

End rant


NOT srs, that was just kind of fun to throw together. Also, way to go Shakespeare, I had no idea so many common words originated with him! Like, what did people call elbows before the word 'elbow'?

To the OP: Sorry for the massive . I am honestly in a similar position myself. Don't let SDN get you too down. You have mostly the right ingredients, plus some not-so-favorable ones (mainly that 1st semester). It's difficult to predict too much without that MCAT, but you seem to have attacked your low GPA problem from as many angles as possible - postbacc, upward trend, bangin' ECs, etc...you've done all you can, now it's time to roll the dice. Just roll as many of 'em as you can as quickly as possible!

 

[Alejandro]

My two cents will be that there will have to be a STARK change in your academic performance either through a formal postbac program, or in informal one just through taking classes at preferably a larger university. I didn't read to see what your reasons were for the gpa hit, but again, a substantial change will have to be made.

Look, I know you've paid your dues, worked xxx hours, etc. I've worked too before starting med school, and yeah. it's a different world. What I can say is that it might be wise to get an LOR from an attending to attest your commitment to medicine. have your letter writers explain in your letters why your academics were subpar. Better to have that explained by faculty than having you write a sob-story on your application.

At the end of the day, you know what it'll take to get into med school, regardless if we tell you or not. Really it's gonna come down to you really making the academic commitment to really buckle up and get your stuff together. Yes, it's a lot of hoop jumping, but that's a quintessential part of medicine and its training, so if you don't want to do that, quit now while you can.

Also, I'd take a gap year or two. Most that are going straight through usually have their academics really shine. Gap years allow committees to look at your achievements outside of academia. Make sure you're lights-out on the mcat. Yes, you're doing well in those upper div classes. But two things: 1) you have to rock the mcat which are a bunch of basic sciences, and 2) upper div generally are easier because there is less weeding out in general, so make sure you really do well in those classes.

And tbh, you can talk a lot about a bunch of things, such as i don't want to take gap years, i only want an md, etc etc. and i think many of these things can go without saying. But honestly, it may come down to being realistic and figuring out what will enhance your chances of getting in, rather than just trying to fulfill some of these superficial goals.

for example, international health you mentioned. It is possible that DOs will probably not fare well outside the US, but I think the more important issue is that some schools may have a bias towards training physicians who want to work in the US. Consider state schools-why do you think they want to train students from their home state? Because they're probably far more likely to stay in their home state, and make the tax dollars work towards providing future providers for that state. Again, you can have all of these dreams and ambitions, but I feel like they can be superceded by bigger, more pressing issues.

And lastly, you're YOUNG. 20 years old? You have time to ramp up your grades. Don't just apply right away just because you're not patient enough to get your stuff together. Get your stuff together, and do it once, do it right. I don't mind having a future colleague who has made a mistake or two in his life, but I do mind if he/she is too lazy to dot their i's and cross their t's just because they can't wait to get everything assembled in order.

My analogy: Applying to medical school is an "elective procedure." You have technically all the time in the world to get everything sorted out. It's not like you have some critical patient who is crashing and there's a narrow time in which you must perform now. There is no excuse for being ill-prepared for this. Especially one that will ultimately determine your future. There are people who are finally matriculating at the ages of 25 or higher, who have been busting their tails off as well. Do your work, and things will fit into place. If you aren't cut out for the patience, persistence, and hard work, then I seriously think you have entitlement issues.

And some people say, well, my parents say i need to apply early, or some other external factor. External influences like that are not supposed to make an impact on your decision to apply. Remember, patients care about why YOU chose to go to medicine, not from other external reasons. And I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you understand exactly where I'm getting at.

So am I going to say it's impossible? Nope. But does this mean you're probably going to have to get your act together? Absolutely.

 

[nysegop]

My two cents will be that there will have to be a STARK change in your academic performance either through a formal postbac program, or in informal one just through taking classes at preferably a larger university. I didn't read to see what your reasons were for the gpa hit, but again, a substantial change will have to be made.

Look, I know you've paid your dues, worked xxx hours, etc. I've worked too before starting med school, and yeah. it's a different world. What I can say is that it might be wise to get an LOR from an attending to attest your commitment to medicine. have your letter writers explain in your letters why your academics were subpar. Better to have that explained by faculty than having you write a sob-story on your application.

At the end of the day, you know what it'll take to get into med school, regardless if we tell you or not. Really it's gonna come down to you really making the academic commitment to really buckle up and get your stuff together. Yes, it's a lot of hoop jumping, but that's a quintessential part of medicine and its training, so if you don't want to do that, quit now while you can.

Also, I'd take a gap year or two. Most that are going straight through usually have their academics really shine. Gap years allow committees to look at your achievements outside of academia. Make sure you're lights-out on the mcat. Yes, you're doing well in those upper div classes. But two things: 1) you have to rock the mcat which are a bunch of basic sciences, and 2) upper div generally are easier because there is less weeding out in general, so make sure you really do well in those classes.

And tbh, you can talk a lot about a bunch of things, such as i don't want to take gap years, i only want an md, etc etc. and i think many of these things can go without saying. But honestly, it may come down to being realistic and figuring out what will enhance your chances of getting in, rather than just trying to fulfill some of these superficial goals.

for example, international health you mentioned. It is possible that DOs will probably not fare well outside the US, but I think the more important issue is that some schools may have a bias towards training physicians who want to work in the US. Consider state schools-why do you think they want to train students from their home state? Because they're probably far more likely to stay in their home state, and make the tax dollars work towards providing future providers for that state. Again, you can have all of these dreams and ambitions, but I feel like they can be superceded by bigger, more pressing issues.

And lastly, you're YOUNG. 20 years old? You have time to ramp up your grades. Don't just apply right away just because you're not patient enough to get your stuff together. Get your stuff together, and do it once, do it right. I don't mind having a future colleague who has made a mistake or two in his life, but I do mind if he/she is too lazy to dot their i's and cross their t's just because they can't wait to get everything assembled in order.

My analogy: Applying to medical school is an "elective procedure." You have technically all the time in the world to get everything sorted out. It's not like you have some critical patient who is crashing and there's a narrow time in which you must perform now. There is no excuse for being ill-prepared for this. Especially one that will ultimately determine your future. There are people who are finally matriculating at the ages of 25 or higher, who have been busting their tails off as well. Do your work, and things will fit into place. If you aren't cut out for the patience, persistence, and hard work, then I seriously think you have entitlement issues.

And some people say, well, my parents say i need to apply early, or some other external factor. External influences like that are not supposed to make an impact on your decision to apply. Remember, patients care about why YOU chose to go to medicine, not from other external reasons. And I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you understand exactly where I'm getting at.

So am I going to say it's impossible? Nope. But does this mean you're probably going to have to get your act together? Absolutely.

👍

 

[CapCrunch]

Stop posting your linguistic assignments/english homework. Nobody cares. This is a WAMC thread. Help the OP out, and stop replying to the thread with unrelated garbage. If you want to continue this ridiculous discussion, open another thread...in a different forum.

 

[mehc012]

Sorry, just having a bit of fun with that one ...I did apologize to OP and get back to the original topic, though, and now it seems to have gotten back to the SDN standard of "doing the OP a favor by being even more pessimistic than the statistics", so don't worry!

 

[nysegop]

Sorry, just having a bit of fun with that one ...I did apologize to OP and get back to the original topic, though, and now it seems to have gotten back to the SDN standard of "doing the OP a favor by being even more pessimistic than the statistics", so don't worry!

With a 3.0 the chances that the OP would get into an allopathic school next cycle is improbable.

 

[mehc012]

With a 3.0 the chances that the OP would get into an allopathic school next cycle is improbable.

Sure thing, but 30% is a far cry from impossible. Additionally, the steps the OP has taken (strong ECs, strong postbacc) and the makeup of the GPA (steep upward trend) definitely help. Remember, the 30% success rate would be predictive only if the process were entirely random. However, other factors (such as those mentioned above) come into play, and affect the odds of success for each individual applicant within that bracket. Those subtle characteristics will likely benefit this particular OP, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them within that victorious 30%.

Of course, it's still a crapshoot, but jaded (lol, already?) pessimism is neither helpful nor endearing...as far as advice goes, OP should apply intelligently and broadly. As far as chances go, I'd say slightly higher than 30% . So unless you wanna sit here on this thread all day reiterating the same tired point (that the gpa is low and therefore the chances of success are lowered), I'm really not sure what you're trying to say. No one is disagreeing with the statistics, only with the perspective that 30% = sit down and give up...or that it's fun to sit here and rub it in.

 

[preMedDonut]

With a 3.0 the chances that the OP would get into an allopathic school next cycle is improbable.

I like how you took off your H-SDN tag and your signature after getting reemed for being a high school kid in this thread. Haha.

Anyways, to the OP, everyone is going on about the 30% and such when realistically it is such a crapshoot. I think you will be auto screened by most schools, but if you do call up to specific state schools (unless CA) and let them know your case, I would say you have a chance. You just have to let them take a look at that upward trend.

Good news, if you look at some of the success stories on here, there have been people to do it. Just prepare yourself to apply to 40+ schools.

 

[nysegop]

Sure thing, but 30% is a far cry from impossible. Additionally, the steps the OP has taken (strong ECs, strong postbacc) and the makeup of the GPA (steep upward trend) definitely help. Remember, the 30% success rate would be predictive only if the process were entirely random. However, other factors (such as those mentioned above) come into play, and affect the odds of success for each individual applicant within that bracket. Those subtle characteristics will likely benefit this particular OP, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them within that victorious 30%.

Of course, it's still a crapshoot, but jaded (lol, already?) pessimism is neither helpful nor endearing...as far as advice goes, OP should apply intelligently and broadly. As far as chances go, I'd say slightly higher than 30% . So unless you wanna sit here on this thread all day reiterating the same tired point (that the gpa is low and therefore the chances of success are lowered), I'm really not sure what you're trying to say. No one is disagreeing with the statistics, only with the perspective that 30% = sit down and give up...or that it's fun to sit here and rub it in.

Yeah, if OP does a post-bac the chances would be much higher.

 

[NeverGivesUp7]

Check this out! It might be helpful to you.
http://www.oldpremeds.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/44848/pid/81350/